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Periscopi Invertit Sa Ximbomba cover artwork. an illustration of a friction drum: a ximbomba or zambomba.

Mediterranean Update

Rooted in Mallorca folk tradition and funked up to just the right degree, “Sa Ximbomba” is the latest gem from U.K. band Periscopi Invertit.

The two musicians stand against a blue metal wall adorned with a geometric border. One holds a trumpet, the other a traditional string instrument.

Album reviews

Rabab Meets Trumpet: Sangat Intertwines Sikh & Sufi Lines

Angel Romero December 8, 2025 No Comments Sangat world fusion world music

Sangat – Sangat (2025) Afghan American rabab virtuoso Qais Essar and Sikh American trumpet player-singer Sonny Singh released their joint debut album Sangat recently. The…

Awards

Trad Triumphs In Aberdeen At MG Alba Scots Trad Music Awards 2025

World Music Central News Room December 7, 2025 No Comments Active Events Andrew Rankine BBC Radio Scotland BBC Radio Scotland - Take the Floor Birnam CD Blazin' Fiddles Bòrd na Gàidhlig Boyd Robertson Celtic Connections Celtic music Creative Scotland Dàna David Francis Donald Shaw Ellie Beaton Elspeth Cowie Fèisean nan Gàidheal Findlay Napier Gerda Stevenson Glasgow Skye Association Pipe Band Iain Macdonald Innes Watson Isle of Barra Distillers Kim Carnie Magnus Graham MG Alba Scots Trad Music Awards Musicians' Union National Association of Accordion and Fiddle Clubs National Piping Centre North East Accordion and Fiddle Club Park Bar PRS for Music Rory Matheson Rura Scottish Government’s Youth Music Initiative Scottish music SHURE Sian Siobhan Miller Skerryvore Stornoway The Ceilidh Collective The Highland Society of London The National Lottery The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland The Royal National Mòd Threads of Sound Traditional Music and Song Association University of the Highlands and Islands VisitScotland Wee Studio Wills Bros Civil Engineering Ltd.world music

The 23rd annual MG Alba Scots Trad Music Awards took place at Aberdeen’s Music Hall on December 6. The event honored leading figures in Scottish…

Phoenyx - Keepers of the Flame cover artwork. A Celtic pattern over a black background.

Album reviews

Phoenyx Rekindles the Celtic Rock Fire: Keepers of the Flame Returns

Angel Romero December 7, 2025 1 Comment Celtic music Celtic rock Phoenyx world music

Phoenyx – Keepers of the Flame (Prometheus Music, 2025) Phoenyx was a pioneering Celtic rock band that was well known in the San Francisco Bay…

Nuevos Territorios por Marina Heredia poster.

Events

Flamenco Talent: Marina Heredia Closes New Territories 2025 Season In Madrid

World Music Central News Room December 6, 2025 No Comments Alba Martos Ana Gómez Anabel Rivera Eduardo Gómez Eles Bellido Fabiola Santiago Flamenco Fran Tari José del Bolita José Manuel Martínez “El Peli”Leo Reyes Marina Heredia Marina Heredia “La Negra”Noelia Calvo Pepe Núñez Rafael Moisés Heredia Rubén Lara Susana Sánchez world music

Fundación SGAE closes its 2025 Nuevos Territorios series with a two-night program curated by flamenco singer Marina Heredia at Sala Berlanga in Madrid on 12…

The Greener Side Activation collage of photos of the festival

Events

Echoes Of Earth 2025: Bengaluru Festival Tunes Into Nature’s ‘Sixth Sense’

Angel Romero December 6, 2025 No Comments Bengaluru Echoes of Earth festival Indian music world music

Echoes Of Earth, billed as India’s greenest circular music festival, returns for its 8th edition on December 13–14, 2025, in Bengaluru with a new theme:…

A swirl of deep blue and violet surrounds a burst of orange, with scattered black marks. The lower right corner presents the artist’s name, Shane Shanahan, above the title Audacity (Live) in modern lettering.

Album reviews

Shane Shanahan’s Audacity (Live) Rallies An All-Star Ensemble

Madison Quinn December 6, 2025 No Comments Shane Shanahan world fusion world music

Shane Shanahan – Audacity (Live) (Bright Shiny Things, 2025) Percussionist Shane Shanahan released Audacity (Live), a project that highlights his cross-cultural collaboration. These stem from…

A riverside scene fills the cover, where two people travel in a long wooden canoe across still greenish water. Soft reflections ripple beneath them, and a tree-lined shore stretches in the distance. Yellow lettering announces Djékady above and Benkan below.

Album reviews

Djékady’s Innovative ‘Benkan’ Intersects Malian Heritage and American Roots

Angel Romero December 5, 2025 No Comments Djékady world fusion world music

Djékady – Benkan (Bright Shiny Things, 2025) Benkan introduces Djékady, a superb six-piece ensemble co-led by Malian balafon maestro and singer Balla Kouyaté and American…

The cover presents a steam locomotive enveloped in thick haze at a station platform, where a silhouetted rail worker stands near the engine. The scene leans on sepia tones. Blocky lettering spells out “Ashby Frank” above the larger title Mr. Engineer.

Music videos

Ashby Frank Rolls Out A Bluesy Waltz: “Mr. Engineer” Gets A Fresh Trackside Stop

World Music Central News Room December 5, 2025 No Comments Ashby Frank Bluegrass world music

Ashby Frank has released a new contemporary bluegrass version of “Mr. Engineer,” the Jimmy Martin and Paul Williams classic, via Mountain Home Music Company. The…

Dark spheres envelop Carolyn-Trowbridge. she holds bright pink mallets that cross in her hands.

Music videos

Carolyn Trowbridge Unveils Hypnotic “Duchess Of Sheba”

World Music Central News Room December 4, 2025 No Comments Carolyn Trowbridge Ethio-jazz exotica world music

Austin Music Award–nominated musician and composer Carolyn Trowbridge has released “Duchess Of Sheba,” the lead single from her debut album Found Memories. The piece presents…